Harvey Milk to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

[Political Tiger]

The Victory Fund has learned President Barack Obama plans to award America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Harvey Milk, one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials. The award will be accepted at a White House ceremony August 12 by Stuart Milk, the nephew of the late San Francisco Supervisor and civil rights activist.

“We are thrilled President Obama is honoring Harvey Milk with the Medal of Freedom. He’s an American hero and trailblazer whose election more than 30 years ago triggered a political awakening that inspires us still today. This recognition sends an important message about how critical political leadership will be in making all Americans equal in the eyes of the law,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.

Stuart Milk echoed Wolfe’s praise, saying, “The President’s action today touches the core of our very human hearts and my uncle would be so proud of this high honor. His election was, for him, a beginning–a chance to make real change. That change is happening, but we still have so far to go. I hope this recognition inspires LGBT Americans everywhere to heed Harvey’s call to run for office, to serve openly, to live proudly with authenticity and to demand the equality that we all deserve.”

American tennis great Billy Jean King, who is openly lesbian, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who has championed LGBT equality throughout his political career, also will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the August 12 ceremony. Kennedy was honored by the Victory Fund in 2004 with its Oates-Shrum Leadership Award in recognition of his tireless work on behalf of LGBT Americans.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award created to honor especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.



http://www.gaypolitics.com/2009/07/30/harvey-milk-to-receive-presidential-medal-of-freedom/

[ccharles000]

1. wonderful

[Renew Deal]

2. Someone actually unreced this.

I recd it and it went from 2 to 2. :wtf:

Anyway, isn't the resemblance to Sean Penn remarkable?

[joeybee12]

4. I didn't...but with everything that's happened, or, NOT happened in the last

few months, i smell pandering.

[QC]

5. Probably meant to counter the news that the White House has killed anti-DADT efforts

in Congress.

Of course, that is surely some kind of brilliant strategy too fiendishly complex for mere mortals to comprehend. Like chess. Or something.

[TheWraith]

6. Probably somebody who hates good news.

God knows DU has enough of them.

[mitchtv]

8. Someone who hates

Chess

[Prism]

10. Oh stop

Milk would be rolling in his grave. An award from this administration, after what they've done so far on LGBT issues?

Please.

This is transparent pandering at its absolute worst. Every time there's bad news about this administration's horrible track record on LGBT rights, it immediately comes out with some sop they think will make us go "Oh, nevermind! Your homophobia is ok after all!"

It's getting predictable at this point.

[noiretextatique]

22. i know people want more

but i maintain obama is the most gay-friendly president we'be ever had. i just wish he's stop trying to appease everyone. sometimes doing the right thing means pissing some people off.

[Political Tiger]

13. Unfortunately the negativity on this board is overwhelming

and some people are simply determined to rain on the parade no matter what. Oh well. Such is life!

[QC]

14. The mendacity gets pretty foul sometimes, too. n/t

[Toasterlad]

20. It's Not a Parade. It's People's Lives.

Sorry if my yelling about being a second-class citizen (which I STILL am, by the way, no matter how many homo tea parties Obama throws) is ruining your party.

[dsc]

3. this is great

Sadly he isn't alive to get it but it is fabulous news.

[defendandprotect]

7. Good move . . .

[Prism]

9. Reflected Glory, Marge!

Who needs rights? They're giving a dead guy an award!

So . . . for how many months will the question "Will President Obama ever move on our equality?" be met with "But he gave Harvey Milk an award!"

What an odd trade. The White House tries to kill a DADT repeal, and they think this is an even exchange.

Hilarious.

[tbyg52]

11. >>Hilarious.

Yeah, if you don't laugh you'll cry. :cry:

I'm tired of pander bears and I'm sick of chess.

[QC]

12. Why do you hate America? Why? n/t

[Toasterlad]

15. This Administration Is a Mockery Of Everything Milk Fought For.

They are in no position to "honor" him.

[QC]

16. I wonder how Milk would have responded to the DOMA brief?

I suspect there would have been some singed eyebrows and ringing ears in the White House if he had been alive when that hateful screed was published.

[Toasterlad]

18. The Thing Is, Milk Was a Politician, Too.

I suspect, had he lived long enough, that he would have become a bit complacent; a bit Barney Frankish, if you will. I like to think he would have blasted the DOMA brief with the same fire and brimstone he displayed in San Francisco, but I think working in the political system, especially the higher you get (and Milk would have gone higher) eventually changes even the best of people.

Not saying he would have sold out, just that he might not have been as firey an advocate as we would have liked. It's easier to idolize a dead hero than it is to appreciate a live politician.

[QC]

19. Very true, but even David Mixner was enraged by the DOMA brief,

and Mixner's the insider's insider.

It really was a special kind of foul.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Eryemil]

21. Meaningless gesture. It might warm the hearts of some but does fuck-all for me personally.